Wolverhampton Band The Calamity take on the 10 Questions!
Interview: Present are Billy Haynes (guitar/vocals), Matt Smith (guitar), Steph Haynes (bass) and George Holt (keys).
1. Where did band name come from?
Billy: Out of a hat. The hat’s decision is final. I’m not sure whether the hat is literal or figurative.
2. What made you want to get into music?
B: Creative expression?
Matt: Not wanting to have a shit job.
B: Though we don’t make any money so we have to have shit jobs anyway.
3. Best venue you’ve ever played and why?
Steph: The NAC [Newhampton Arts Centre]. We played at ‘Strummerjam’ there last summer.
M: We put these gigs on at Asylum Art Gallery in Wolves, they’re really good. It’s just a white room with no toilet, everyone has to piss behind the bins. It’s free and a great atmosphere, and we don’t have to deal with promoters.
B: Mmm… promoters.
M: It has a kind of renegade thing to it.
B: I used to love the Adelphi in Hull when I was at uni there, used to play there a lot. It’s like someone’s living room made into a gig venue. We’d like to take the band there at some point.
4. One band/artist you’d love to support?
M: Should we say someone really niche?
S: Nah someone massive. Ariana Grande?
George: Do they have to be still functional? If not then the Velvet Underground.
B: Probably Peter Doherty. I remember seeing him in Coventry once, there were four support acts. It was a sort a cabaret vibe, very cool.
5. What’s the greatest love song ever written?
M:‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ by Foreigner.
B: Erm…
6. The best album you’ve heard this year?
M: ‘Brutalism’ by Idles. Looking forward to listening to their new one.
B: I bought Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Psychocandy’ couple of months ago, love that.
G: ‘Unknown Pleasures’ by Joy Division. Not sure if I listened to it this year or last year though.
S: Not really listened to anything. I think when you play music a lot of people expect you to be an ‘aficionado’; but I’m not that into consuming music, I just enjoy playing it.
7. Most overrated artist of all time?
S: The Calamity.
B: Queen. Definitely Queen. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is terrible and makes me sad.
M: Ed Sheeran.
B: Is he rated?
M: Yeah! All the idiots love Sheeran.
8: What’s the last song you streamed on Spotify?
M: ‘Drunken Angel’ by Lucinda Williams.
G: I can’t get my Spotify to work.
B: I don’t have it. We’re listening to The Fall at the moment though… I listened to a band called Real Estate the other day.
9: Bands to look out for?
G: Raphaella Kornaskis…
M: The Calamity?
B: Yeah! I think we’re quite introspective as a collective, our influences are mostly archaic and we can’t afford Saturdays at the Sunflower Lounge. So in terms of the ‘scene’ we’re very much outsiders.
M: We’re trying to do something different, make something that we’d love cos no one else is doing it.
S: Be the band you want to see in the world.
10: Plans for the future?
S: Film a video for our song ‘Pagans’.
B: World domination. Take the band on tour, make new records.
M: I want to be happy and not be bored and working for £7.83 an hour like a twat.
Just would like to say thanks once again to The Calamity for taking the 10 Questions on. Make sure you follow them and check out their music!
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